Former Dustdevil Eynon turning pro back home in England

Jake Eynon is joined by his stepmother Emma Eynon, his father Tony Eynon and his mother Jane Coe Friday as he signed on with the Team Solent Kestrels.

Photo: Danny Zaragoza / Laredo Morning Times

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Jake Eynon trained with Lindsey Torgerson and George Becerra at Elev8 Performance Lab to prepare for a professional career.

Photo: Danny Zaragoza /Laredo Morning Times

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Former TAMIU guard Jake Eynon signed Friday to play pro basketball with the Team Solent Kestrels in Eastleigh, Hampshire in England.

Jake Eynon had an eventful last day stateside securing his future at the next level just hours before graduating from Texas A&M International University. The former Dustdevil committed to head back across the pond to play professional basketball with the Team Solent Kestrels in Eastleigh, Hampshire in England.

“When you think of England, you don’t really think of basketball,” Eynon said. “You think more of soccer, but the basketball keeps increasing. There are more and more kids coming from England to come out stateside and play in college and then go home. The level is getting a lot better.”

Along with the opportunity to become a professional athlete, Eynon is excited to be moving less than a four-hour drive away from his hometown of Ipswich. His family is also excited for the opportunity to see him play without flying halfway around the world including his mother Jane Coe, father Tony Eynon and stepmother Emma Eynon who were in Laredo Friday to attend the signing and graduation.

“It’s going to be good with my family able to come see me, especially my grandparents,” Eynon said. “It’s three hours from where I live, but I can still go home and visit, and they can still come watch me instead of flying halfway across the world.”

“It’s wonderful. He’s really enjoyed the last few years in Texas,” Coe said. “He’s worked hard and got his degree and played lots of basketball. It’ll be lovely to have him home for a while before he goes off to South Hampton. He’s done really well and he’s loved it. It’s a great opportunity for him.”

Eynon headed to Texas in 2013 and spent two years playing at Jacksonville College before transferring to TAMIU. He spent two seasons with the Dustdevils as part of a deep rotation. Eynon appeared in 24 games as a senior playing 152 minutes off the bench while helping TAMIU win the Heartland Conference regular-season title.

“The TAMIU system is tough. You have to love it more than you love life,” Eynon said. “You have to be obsessed with it and want it so much that everything else in your life doesn’t matter. It’s just basketball. You have to want it so bad and have to be tough. The drills and practices are tougher than anything else you’ve been surrounded by. You realize how much you love the game and how much you want to do it.”

Since closing out his career with Dustdevils, Eynon has been training with Elev8 Performance Lab to prepare for the added grind of longer games and seasons at the professional level. His performance coaches George Becerra and Lindsey Torgerson helped him add weight while improving his endurance.

“Working here at Elev8 and getting my body ready, I’m ready to perform at that level,” Eynon said. “You have George and Lindsey here to help you every day. They have so much knowledge. They are always in your ear with advice.”

“We were able to put on a sustainable 10 pounds which is difficult when someone is on the basketball court for five to seven hours every day,” Becerra said. “That only comes through commitment, hard work and dedication. He never missed a workout. He was always 30 minutes early and ready to go. He will succeed at the next level.”

Torgerson will have twice the interest in the English Basketball League Division I with her close family friend Paul Guede playing for the Worcester Wolves. A fellow professional athlete competing in duathlons for Team USA, Torgerson was inspired by Eynon’s drive. He also inspired the next generation of Laredo basketball players with elementary, middle school and high school players at the Elev8 Performance Lab all looking up to him.

“I train a lot of younger basketball players and he was a good leader for them to look up to,” Torgerson said. “They really enjoyed having him and are going to miss him. It’s inspiring to work with those types of athletes. It helps me too in my training.”

Eynon continued to show his dedication Friday squeezing in a final workout after the signing ceremony. He had just enough time to head over to Laredo Energy Arena to receive his diploma for a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.